Legal technology, technology law and other musings

It’s Blawgiversary/Birthday Week at DennisKennedy.Blog!

And so it begins . . . I realized the other day that I had first written about blogs well over a year ago. In fact, the rise of blogs was one of my 2002 predictions for legal technology in my annual legal tech predictions article. As I was working on updating my web site (http://www.denniskennedy.com), I finally decided that I had to have my own blog. Thanks to people like Jerry Lawson, Sabrina Pacifici, the Support Forum at MovableType.org, it’s finally here.

The blog was my early birthday present to myself in 2003. I’m sure that many readers will appreciate the Babylon 5 allusion in the title. One of the annual traditions on this blog is to have a combined blawgiversary (or blogiversary) and birthday (February 17) celebration. I’ve had a lot of fun with this over the years, and done more than a few silly things as part of these celebrations. However, at heart, blawgiversary/birthday week is a reader appreciation week and a way to say thank you to all the readers of this blog, some of whom have been with me all the years. To all readers, long-time, short-time or first-time, a big thank you for reading this blogger and giving me plenty of reasons to keep this blog rolling year after year. As usual, I have some treats for readers this week. This year, I’ll give one gift and a couple of treats. There might be more surprises as the week goes on, so stay tuned. First, I’m turning this week into a “By Request” week. Use the comments, email (denniskennedyblog @ gmail . com) or even Twitter (@dkennedyblog or @denniskennedy) to ask me any question you’d like that would be of general interest, and I’ll try to answer as many of those questions as I can this week. Of course, I reserve the right to duck difficult questions or to answer an easier question than the question you ask. Two treats: First, Tom Mighell and I have recorded a podcast about collaboration tools and technologies that you may download and listen to for free. The details on the podcast and how to download it are here. Second, it wouldn’t be a blawgiversary here without me continuing my tradition of claiming that I’ve arranged a “special deal for readers” to say that something that was already happening today was actually done as a part of this blawgiversary. Tempting as it was, I’ve resisted saying that I worked out a deal for both the Daytona 500 and the NBA All-Star game to be scheduled this year on my blawgiversary day. Instead, I’ll offer up a special $200 discount for early registrants to ABA TECHSHOW 2009 through the end of the month. Again, a big thank you to all my readers. I’m looking forward to another great year at DennisKennedy.Blog and to answering your questions. [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)] Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog; Follow me – @denniskennedyNow Available! The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell. Visit the companion website for the book at LawyersGuidetoCollaboration.com. Twitter: @collabtools Technorati tags: legal technologyblawgiversarybirthdayby request

Comments

Since it is By Request week, I will repost the comment I left for you on 1/7. One of my favorite posts from you this year was “Get the (Instant) Message, Dude!” While it was very useful, I had hoped that it would go further in talking about LAN messenger tools available for internal firm use. My firm has continued using Windows Messenger 5.0 and the Exchange Instant Messenger program that came with Windows Server 2000 SBS for internal LAN messaging because Instant Messenger was not bundled with Exchange Server 2003 to which we migrated. We are now looking at retiring the Windows 2000 server since it is an 8 year old computer. The only reason we have kept it around is because of the IM function. I have done some cursory research on alternative LAN messaging products, both peer to peer and client server based. There appear to be no shortage of products out there to consider, including LAN Messenger, Outlook LAN Messenger, Bopup Communication Server, Akeni Instant Messaging Server Pro, Sonork Instant Messaging Server, LAN Chat, Vypress Chat and Vypress Messenger. In fact there are so many products that the choices seem overwhelming. I have been able to find no comparative reviews on these products and no guidance on selecting a product for a small law firm. Our needs are fairly simple. We need to be able to chat, one to one, within the LAN and also to users connected through a VPN. I think that a post that discusses the options available for use by a small law firm would be very helpful.

Dennis Kennedy

DennisKennedy.Blog was launched on February 15, 2003.

Dennis Kennedy is one of the few technology lawyers who is also an expert on the underlying technologies. Dennis an award-winning leader in the application of technology and the Internet to the practice of law.

This site gives you access to a wide variety of Dennis Kennedy's writings and information about how you can have Dennis speak to your organization or group.

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Dennis Kennedy is one of the most knowledgeable legal technologists you will find. - Michael Arkfeld.

Dennis Kennedy, a lawyer and legal technology expert in St. Louis, Mo., has been a significant influence in the ever-evolving relationship between lawyers and the Web. - Robert Ambrogi